Why #LoveWestNorfolk may be running to catch up with themselves

Don’t you love West Norfolk? A new campaign, launched earlier this year, aims to “create a regional, national and international marketing strategy which promotes our beautiful borough and encourages growth, investment and tourism”. Created by the main public sector bodies in the area, the aims are most laudable.

Shame, then, that two of our other west Norfolk players may not be helping. Norfolk Green buses will be no more. Once winners of countless awards including being the only small independent operator to win the UK Bus Operator of the Year, it was sold out to national bus giant Stagecoach who have now decided to close their Lynn depot and withdraw their bus services from west Norfolk and surrounding villages.

This year’s Grand East Anglian Run, this next weekend, used to be organised locally until the Borough Council – yes, part of #LoveWestNorfolk – decided to farm out management of the event to Leeds-based Run for All. Not only are the management costs for the event now taken out of the area, a quick glance at the @GEARKL twitter account shows them actively promoting #run to #discover the “UK’s favourite city break destination!” Instead of one of our glorious Norfolk coastal locations, apparently it’s Leeds that @GEARKL are promoting as a tourist destination.

There aren’t that many hills around here but it looks like #LoveWestNorfolk might be running uphill against the wind.